Arrec of the Burning Brand
Arrec of the Burning Brand was born in the Stormlands, as can be seen from his name. His origin, age, and parentage are unknown, but neither his name nor his deeds will soon be forgotten. He was slain upon the field of batlle in 357 AC. History Arrec first appears in the annals of history some time around 336, when he joined the Long Lances. All agree that he joined the Long Lances at an extremely young age, and quickly proved himself as both a skilled fighter and a skilled commander. He earned his epithet sometime in those years, no doubt for the countless villages he put to the torch. Within the first two years of his service, Arrec advanced up the ranks of the company, finally becoming Captain near the beginning of 338AC. The Long Lances fight for a time in the Disputed Lands, before traveling east to Volantis, looking for work. Volantis Vaekar Maegyr and Arrec were old acquaintances, Vaekar having hired the Long Lances previously. But when the Burning Brand arrived in Volantis in 338AC, the young Triarch had a different kind of proposition for him. The pair decided to work with Aurion the Exile, helping him reclaim his throne across the sea in exchange for wealth and titles. Arrec would serve at his left hand, helping him recruit more fighters and sellsails to his cause. The War of the Exile During the War of the Exile, Arrec led the mercenaries during the Siege of Rosby. When the armies of the throne fell upon him and his men, the Long Lances fought hard to break the lines of the Westerosi knights. After their third charge failed, Arrec sounded the retreat, falling back toward the landing point. His army traveled for days, running hard to keep ahead of their Westerosi pursuers. During the Battle of the Hammers, his men were routed, and together they fled into the Riverlands. The War of the Burning Brand For the next few years Arrec would live as a bandit and brigand along the borderline between north and south, using his men and strategic skill to carve out a life for himself. Slowly, however his holdings grew, and ambition took hold. He began getting bolder, eventually founding a stronghold just south of the headwaters of the Blackwater, building it out of palisades and stone blocks. More and more men joined him, many of them veterans from the War of the Exile who did not speak the common tongue. All these Arrec took in, and in 354 AC, he put them to use. The War of the Burning Brand would see increased raiding on both sides of the border, and the sack of several villages and towns, the most prominent being Stoney Sept. It would come to a head in the Battle of the Brand, where Arrec and the last of his host would be slain, defeated by the combined might of North and South. Arrec himself was finally put down by Alan Tarly, who had commanded the vanguard of the Reach. Category:Non-Player Made Category:Stormlander Category:Essosi